Floor-heater.



H w. LEONARD.

FLOOR HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1916.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

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In venior .ZrmanMZeonazrd HERMAN W. LEONARD, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLOOR-HEATER.-

Specification of Letters Patent. Patehted Feb, 2'7, 1 917.

Application filed May 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,338.

This invention relates to a heater and particularly pertains to a heating device adapted to be mounted within the floor of the room, and is commonly known as a floor heater.

It is an object of this invention to provide a floor heater which may be readily as-' sembled and easily mounted within an opening formed through a floor.

It has been one of the greatest objections to heaters of this type that the heat generated by the burner within the device will-be concentrated and will pass through the heater grate at a high temperature at a point over the burner. When a material which is readily ignited lies upon or over the grate it is liable to burst into flame and in this way cause considerable damage. It has been an object .of this device to diffuse the heat generated, and allow it to pass through the grate at an approximate uniform temperature throughout the grate area. This reduces the intensity of the heat and supplies heat of a degree suitable for heating purposes without being of a high enough temperature to ignite materials.

Another object is to provide a circulation of fresh air through the heatcrand to. so mix it with the products of combustion pro duced by the burner that the gas thrown off from the heater will not be offensive nor dangerous. 7

Another object is to construct a device of the above character in a manner to allow it to be readily assembled or dismantled, the parts being formed in a knoclcdown fashion, so that they will fit together and remain in position without the use of special fastening members.

Another object is to provide a lining for the heater, which readily absorbs heat and will thus tend to conserve and unify the heat being generated and radiated from the heater.

Another object is to provide a simple and effective fuel burner and ignition means for allowing the burner to be readily ignited without danger.

Another object is to provide fuel regulating valves so constructed that the proper amount of fuel for perfect combustion Will pass therethrough irrespective of the opened condition of the cut-off valve therein.

Anotherobject is to providela floor heater,

which is effective in its operation and which is cheaply and simply constructed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan illustrating the floor heater as applied, and showing a portion ofthegrate broken away to disclose the baffle plate arrangement therebeneath.

Fig. 2 is a View in longitudinal vertical section as seen on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and illustrates the vertical relation of the parts of the heater.

I ig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical section as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and illustrates the relation between the burner and the various balfle plates, and further in.- dicates. the path of travel of the air circulating therethrough.

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view of the.

combined cut-off and regulating valveconstru ction.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective illustrating, the upper baflle plate and the ignition member disposed in fixed relation therewith.

Fig.6 is a perspective view illustrating the false bottom member.

with a floor 13. The heater as here shown is supported upon the joists by means of a rectangular frame 14 having an opening 15. The frame is provided. with a downwardly and inwardly extending flange portion 16 around its entire marginal edge. This in wardly extending flange portion is adapted to provide a suitable seat for a heat chamber 17, which engages the flange and is supported therefrom by means of a flange portion 18. A rectangular radiator grate 19 is disposed over the flange portion 18 and lies flush along its upper edge with the surface of the floor.

The heat chamber 17 is rectangular in shape and formed with sides 20 and 21 and ends 22 and 23, all of which unite to and are formed integral with a horizontally disposed bottom portion 24- It may be-here stated that it is preferable to form this member of :and adapted to lie with its top portion flush sheet metal of a suitable gage and material, although this is not essential to the invention. The sides 20 and 21 which are parallel and extend longitudinally are formed with longitudinally extending rectangular slots 25 and 26 adjacent their lower edges. A series of perforations 27 and 28 are formed adjacent the upper flange 18 formed around the marginal edge of the sides. The perforations and openings are provided to allow a free circulation of air throughout the heat chamber.

A false bottom 29 is mounted'within the heat chamber and formed with downwardly extending legs 30, which rest upon the bot tom 24 of the chamber. The member 29 is substantially the length of the heat cham-.

her and is of a width less than the width of said chamber.

This dillerence in width is made in order to allow air to circulate beneath the member and through a series of perforations 31, which extend longitudinally of the member. The perforations are formed along the center of the member 29 and the main body of the member diverges downwardly from. the center line at a slight inclination either side thereof.

The ends of the heat chamber 17 are lined with removable end members 32 and 33, which fit against the ends of the chamber and are held by means of battle partitions 34 and 35 of a length to insure that the end members 32 and 33 will .be held against the ends of the chamber. A series of lugs 36 are formed upon the false end members and are engaged by partitions 34 and 35 to hold them in an upright position and a distance from the side walls of the chamber 17 for a purpose which will be hereafter set forth. The end members 32 and 33 are provided with openings 37 which register with openings 38 formed through the ends of the chamber 17 for the reception of a gas burner 39, which is adapted to lie horizontally and extend outwardly through each end of the heat chamber.

A compound horizontally disposed ballle member 40 is mounted upon supporting lugs 41 and 42 formed upon the false end members within the heat chamber. The member 40 is composed of a pair of parallel rectangular plates 43 and 44, which are spaced a distance from each other and disposed equally either side of the longitudinal cen ter of the heat chamber. Formed beneath the parallel plates is a central plate 45, which is spaced a. distance below and adapted to overlap the adjacent edges of the plates as it lies beneath the space which occurs between them. An ignition tube 46 is suitably secured adjacent and through one end of the plate 45 and extends in a vertical position, its lower end terminating directly above a burner opening 47 formed in the upper face of the burner 39. The end members, side members and baflle plates here described are preferably made of cast iron or other heat absorbing metal.

The heat chamber 17, as previously described, is inclosed by a sheet metal jacket 48, which entirely surrounds the chamber and allows an air circulating space 49 to occur between its walls and those of the heat chamber. An air conduit 50 occurs beneath the jacket 48 and allows air passing from the passage-way 51 to enter the conduit and pass into the space 49 through an opening 56 which is connected to the burner con-.

necting pipe 57 and is fitted with a valve seat 58 upon which a valve 59 is adapted to normally rest. A cut-off member (30 is mounted upon the valve stem 61 and is adapted to move simultaneously with the valve member 59 as the stem is advanced or retracted by means of the screw 62, which is actuated by a suitable key. A connecting passage 63 extends from the cut-01f valve chamber 64 and connects with a chamber 65 of a regulating valve member 66. The valve member 66 is provided with a plunger 67 which is actuated by a threaded member 68 to enlarge or decrease the communicating opening leading to a pipe 69, which in turn communicates with the burner 39. Openings 70 and 71 are formed through the flange member 14 to provide access to the threaded regulating members 62 and 68.

Vhen the device has been assembled as illustrated in the drawings, it is ready to be ignited. This is done by fitting a suitable key upon the valve 55 and allowing the gaseous fuel to pass through to the valve control 66, which has previously been adjusted to allow suflicient fuel for proper combustion. The gas will in turn pass into the burner 39 and will instantly pass from the opening 47 and up through the ignition tube 46. It is evident that a lighted match held over the grate adjacent the upper end of the ignition stem will act to ignite the gas passing therethrough and instantly ignite the remaining openings 72, which are formed through and along the opposite sides of the burner 39. When the burner is lighted the air )assing up through the conduit 50 will circulate through the air space 49, then through the rectangularopenings25 and 26 formed in the sides of the heat chamber, and will unite with the products of combustion, which are rising from the burner and passing through the grate. It is evident that a large volume of air will unite with the heated air and will distribute it to pass through the grate at an approximate uniform temperature throughout the grate area.

It will thus be seen that a floor heater is here provided which is simple in construction, may be readily assembled, and may be operated without danger of the production of an excessive heat or an injurious gas.

I claim:

1. A floor heater, comprising a heat chamber, air inlet openings disposed upon the opposite sides of said chamber, baffle partition members disposed within said chamber and adjacent said openings, a false bottom member mounted with its outwardly extending edges beneath said baflie partitions, a fuel burner disposed above said false bottom, said false bottom being provided with openings for supplying air of combustion to said burner, heat diffusing means mounted over the burner, means for conducting fresh air to and delivering it for circulation within the heat chamber, and means whereby said floor heater may be supported by and dependent beneath a floor.

2. A floor heater, comprising an outer casing, an air conduit connected therewith, means for supporting said casing beneath a floor, a heat chamber disposed within said casing, a burner mounted within and adapted to extend the length of said heat chamber, baffle partitions mounted vertically either side of said burner, a false bottom provided in said chamber upon which the baffle partitions are adapted to rest, means for allowing the passage of air through said false bottom, a compound baffle plate mounted over the burner, a suitable grate disposed over and in communication with the heat chamber, and means whereby a circulation of air may be maintained from the conduit through the outer easing into the heat chamber and outwardly through the grate member.

3. A floor heater, comprising a floor plate, a grate disposed over an opening in said plate, means for supporting a heat chamber formed integral with said plate, a heat chamber dependent from said supporting means, a series of false lining members of a heat absorbing and retaining substance positioned within the heat chamber, a false bot-.

tom wall mounted within said heat chamber, means formed integral with said bottom wall whereby a circulation of air may be maintained beneath it and through it, a pair of vertically disposed parallel baffie partitions, a longitudinally extending fuel burner positioned between said baffle partitions and over the false bottom member, means for oppositely disposed end lining members positioned within the heat chamber and against the end walls thereof, a false bottom member adapted to rest upon the floor of the heat chamber and between the end walls, means whereby a circulation of air may be maintained beneath the false bottom and therethrough, a pair of baffle partitions adapted to rest upon the opposite outer edges of said false bottom, baffle partition engaging lugs formed upon the end lining members and adapted to detachably secure the partition members in a vertical position, ventilating openings formed through the side walls of the heat chamber adjacent the baffle partitions, a fuel burner extending the longitudinal length of the heat chamber and between the baffle partitions, a demountable heat diffusing member mounted over said fuel burner, said heat diffusing member comprising a centrally disposed plate and a pair of plates disposed above said central plate and spaced apart, means for mounting said diffusing member upon the end linings, an

outer casing inelosing said heat chamber,

and an adjustable air inlet conduit in connection with said outer casing whereby air will be supplied to the heat chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

H. W. LEONARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

